Talk: Nose
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What is the evolutionary rationale behind humans' pronounced noses as compared to say chimps and gorillas? Lupin 08:40, 25 Feb 2004 (UTC)
From the Reference desk:
What is the evolutionary rationale behind humans' pronounced noses as compared to say chimps and gorillas? Lupin 12:08, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)
- Aboriginal H.sapiens live in a far more diverse range of climates than do other great apes. Humans native to arid, dusty places have (very approximately) longer nasal passages, which helps to humidify the inhaled air (and secondarily, longer nasal passages afford more room for more nasal hairs, which helps block sand and dust). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:58, 24 Mar 2004 (UTC)
- It should only be added if it can be attributed to a source, and qualified with language that properly represents the acceptance of that source among evolutionary theorists. Humans are also unique in their ability to selectively close their nasal passage or their oral passage from the throat, which provided the capacity for speech. The evolution of more pronounced nasal protrusions also correlates with development of hard right angles in the oral passage and in the neural structure of hominids. Further, the greater nasal passage found in hominids facilitates cooling of air, which is distinct from the cleaning functions of nasal passages. What's more, there need not be a distinct survival advantage - the shape of human noses could have resulted from purely subjective preferential selection in breeding. One must be careful in making authoritative statements about the advantages of long noses not to offend those hominids who born of geneologies with less pronounced noses. The elongated nose, as interpreted by oriental macrobiotic physiogomy may be related to eating foods rich in both proteins and in precursors of dopamine, both of which are associated with aggressive behavior. The jury is still out on the question of whether aggression offers an evolutionary advantage or hastens the extinction of a species. ~.~ (anon)
